xteenth-century grilles. The huge
_retablo_ of the high altar shows Gothic luxuriousness in its details,
and at the same time (in the capitals of the flanking columns) nascent
plateresque severity.

Perhaps the most interesting corner of the interior is the _trascoro_,
or the exterior side of the wall which closes the choir on the west.
Here the patronizing genius of Bishop Fonseca, a scion of the celebrated
Castilian family, excelled itself. The wall itself is richly sculptured,
and possesses two fine lateral reliefs. In the centre there is a Flemish
canvas of the sixteenth century, of excellent colour, and an elegantly
carved pulpit.

In the chapter-room are to be seen some well-preserved Flemish
tapestries, and in an apsidal chapel is one of Zurbaran's mystic
subjects: a praying nun. (This portrait, I believe, has been sold or
donated by the chapter, for, if I am not mistaken, it is to be seen
to-day in the art collection of the Spanish royal family.)

II

ZAMORA

Whatever may have been the origin of Zamora, erroneously confounded with
that of Numantia, it is not until the ninth century that the city, or
frontier fortress, appears in history as an Arab stronghold, taken from
the Moors and fortified anew by Alfonso I. or by his son Froila, and
necessarily lost and regained by Christians and Moors a hundred times
over in such terrible battles as the celebrated and much sung _dia de
Zamora_ in 901. In 939 another famous siege of the town was undertaken
by infidel hordes, but the strength of the citadel and the numerous
moats, six it appears they were in number, separated by high walls
surrounding the town, were invincible, and the Arab warriors had to
retreat. Nevertheless, between 900 and 980 the fortress was lost five
times by the Christians. The last Moor to take it was Almanzor, who
razed it to the ground and then repopulated it with Arabs from
Andalusia.

Previously, in 905, the parish church had been raised to an episcopal
see; the first to occupy it being one Atilano, canonized later by Pope
Urbano II.

Ten years after this bishop had taken possession of his spiritual
throne, he was troubled by certain religious scruples, and, putting on a
pilgrim's robe, he distributed his revenues among the parish poor and
left the city. Crossing the bridge,--still standing to-day and leading
from the town to Portugal,--he threw his pastoral ring into the river,
swearing he would only reoccupy the lost see whe